U.S. patent application number 14/428951 was filed with the patent office on 2015-10-01 for heat exchanger integrated assembly and manufacturing method thereof.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hangzhou Sanhua Research Institute Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is HANGZHOU SANHUA RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD. Invention is credited to Kai Cui, Linjie Huang, Xiaodong Zhou.
Application Number | 20150276328 14/428951 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50386964 |
Filed Date | 2015-10-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150276328 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huang; Linjie ; et
al. |
October 1, 2015 |
HEAT EXCHANGER INTEGRATED ASSEMBLY AND MANUFACTURING METHOD
THEREOF
Abstract
A heat exchanger integrated assembly and a manufacturing method
thereof are provided. The heat exchanger integrated assembly
includes a heat exchanger, a mating portion and an adaptor, wherein
the heat exchanger includes a first inlet and a first outlet; the
mating portion includes a first side, a second side and a first
hole and a second hole passing through the first side and the
second side, and the mating portion further includes a first
recessed portion formed on the first side and in communication with
the first hole; and the adaptor includes a first passage in
communication with the first hole and in communication with the
first inlet via the first recessed portion, and a second passage in
communication with the first outlet via the second hole. The heat
exchanger is integrated with other parts and is connected to an
expansion valve directly.
Inventors: |
Huang; Linjie; (Hangzhou,
CN) ; Zhou; Xiaodong; (Hangzhou, CN) ; Cui;
Kai; (Hangzhou, CN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HANGZHOU SANHUA RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD |
Hangzhou, Zhejiang |
|
CN |
|
|
Assignee: |
Hangzhou Sanhua Research Institute
Co., Ltd.
Hangzhou, Zhejiang
CN
|
Family ID: |
50386964 |
Appl. No.: |
14/428951 |
Filed: |
August 30, 2013 |
PCT Filed: |
August 30, 2013 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/CN2013/082646 |
371 Date: |
March 17, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/164 ;
29/890.03 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F28F 9/0075 20130101;
F25B 2500/18 20130101; F28F 2280/06 20130101; B60H 1/00342
20130101; Y10T 29/4935 20150115; F25B 40/00 20130101; F28D 9/005
20130101; B60K 11/02 20130101; B60H 1/00485 20130101; B60K 11/04
20130101; B60K 2001/005 20130101; F28F 9/0253 20130101; F28F 27/02
20130101; B23P 15/26 20130101; F25B 2341/0683 20130101; F28F 1/10
20130101 |
International
Class: |
F28F 1/10 20060101
F28F001/10; B23P 15/26 20060101 B23P015/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 29, 2012 |
CN |
201210369297.X |
Jul 19, 2013 |
CN |
201310310012.X |
Claims
1. A heat exchanger integrated assembly, comprising a heat
exchanger, a mating portion abutting against the heat exchanger,
and an adaptor fixed on the mating portion, wherein the mating
portion is located between the heat exchanger and the adaptor, the
heat exchanger comprises a first flow passage and a second flow
passage, and the first flow passage comprises a first inlet and a
first outlet; the mating portion comprises a first side facing the
heat exchanger, a second side facing the adaptor, and a first hole
and a second hole both running through the first side and the
second side, and the first hole and the second hole of the mating
portion are separated from each other, and the mating portion
further comprises a first recessed portion formed on the first side
and in communication with the first hole; the adaptor comprises a
first passage and a second passage, the first passage is in
communication with the first hole and is further in communication
with the first inlet via the first recessed portion; and the second
passage is in communication with the first outlet via the second
hole.
2. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 1,
wherein the first passage is aligned with the first hole, the
second passage is aligned with the second hole, and a center
distance of the first inlet and the first outlet is greater than a
center distance of the first passage and the second passage.
3. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 1,
wherein the mating portion comprises a second recessed portion
formed on the first side, and a first protruding portion and a
second protruding portion both being formed on the second side and
protruding out of the second side, the first protruding portion is
corresponding to the first recessed portion, the second protruding
portion is corresponding to the second recessed portion, the first
hole is located in the first protruding portion, the second hole is
located in the second protruding portion and in communication with
the second recessed portion, and the second passage is in
communication with the first outlet via the second hole and the
second recessed portion; and on the first side of the mating
portion, a periphery of the first recessed portion and a periphery
of the second recessed portion are both welded to the heat
exchanger to form an enclosed space.
4. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 1,
wherein the first side and the second side are both a plane, the
first hole and the second hole directly run through the first side
and the second side, and the first recessed portion is recessed
towards the second side but doesn't run through the second
side.
5. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 1,
wherein the adaptor comprises a main body portion, a first pipeline
and a second pipeline each being located at one side of the main
body portion and protruding out of the main body portion, and a
third pipeline and a fourth pipeline each being located at another
side of the main body portion and protruding out of the main body
portion, the first pipeline is in communication with the fourth
pipeline via the first passage, the second pipeline is in
communication with the third pipeline via the second passage, the
first pipeline is inserted into the first hole, and the second
pipeline is inserted into the second hole.
6. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 5,
wherein a diameter of the first pipeline is smaller than a diameter
of the fourth pipeline, and a diameter of the second pipeline is
smaller than a diameter of the third pipeline; and the heat
exchanger integrated assembly further comprises an expansion valve,
the expansion valve is provided with an inlet and an outlet, the
third pipeline is inserted into the outlet of the expansion valve
and the fourth pipeline is inserted into the inlet of the expansion
valve.
7. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 1,
wherein the heat exchanger integrated assembly comprises a mounting
bracket, the mating portion is located on the mounting bracket, the
mounting bracket further comprises a mounting portion forming an
included angle with respect to the mating portion, and the mounting
portion is provided with at least one mounting hole, and in a
mounting direction passing through the mounting hole, the mounting
hole is located outside the heat exchanger.
8. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 7,
wherein the mounting portion comprises at least two mounting plates
and these mounting plates are respectively located at two sides of
the mating portion, and each mounting plate is provided with one of
the mounting holes.
9. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 8,
wherein the mounting plate comprises a first mounting plate, a
second mounting plate and a third mounting plate, the third
mounting plate is located between the first mounting plate and the
second mounting plate, the first mounting plate and the second
mounting plate are located at one side of the mating portion, and
the third mounting plate is located on another side of the mating
portion.
10. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 9,
wherein the mounting plates are located in the same plane and are
substantially perpendicular to a plane where the mating portion is
located, and the mounting plates are formed by respectively bending
a plurality of parts formed by cutting the same sheet plate.
11. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 9,
wherein the first mounting plate comprises a first extension
section, a second extension section inclined at an angle with
respect to the first extension section, and a third extension
section inclined at an angle with respect to the second extension
section, an inclination angle of the third extension section is
greater than an inclination angle of the second extension section,
and the second extension section and the third extension section
are inclined in a direction toward the second mounting plate.
12. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 9,
wherein the first mounting plate, the second mounting plate and the
third mounting plate are each provided with a continuous
strengthening rib, and the strengthening rib has one end close to
the corresponding mounting hole, and another end located at a
connection portion where the mounting plate intersects with the
mating portion.
13. The heat exchanger integrated assembly according to claim 9,
wherein a first groove is provided between the first mounting plate
and the third mounting plate, a second groove is provided between
the second mounting plate and the third mounting plate, and the
first groove and the second groove are recessed inwards the mating
portion.
14. A manufacturing method of the heat exchanger integrated
assembly, comprising the following steps: S1) providing a heat
exchanger, a mating portion and an adaptor, and locating the mating
portion between the heat exchanger and the adaptor to directly
assemble the three components, wherein the heat exchanger comprises
a first flow passage and a second flow passage, and the first flow
passage comprises a first inlet and a first outlet; the mating
portion comprises a first side facing the heat exchanger, a second
side facing the adaptor, and a first hole and a second hole both
running through the first side and the second side, and the first
hole and the second hole of the mating portion are separated from
each other, and the mating portion further comprises a first
recessed portion formed on the first side and in communication with
the first hole; the adaptor comprises a first passage and a second
passage, the first passage is in communication with the first hole
and is configured to be further in communication with the first
inlet via the first recessed portion; and the second passage is
configured to be in communication with the first outlet via the
second hole; S2) providing a clamp, and tightly pressing and fixing
the heat exchanger and the mating portion by the clamp; and S3)
placing the heat exchanger, the mating portion and the adaptor into
a furnace to weld the three components to form a heat exchanger
integrated assembly.
15. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein, in
Step S2), the clamp is configured to clamp the heat exchanger and
the mating portion; and in Step S3), a vacuum furnace is provided
to perform vacuum brazing or a tunnel-furnace is provided to
perform nitrogen protective welding.
16. The manufacturing method according to claim 15, further
comprising a step S4): connecting the adaptor with an expansion
valve, to form the heat exchanger integrated assembly.
17. The manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein, in
Step S1), the adaptor comprises a main body portion, a first
pipeline and a second pipeline, and after the first pipeline is
inserted into the first hole, at least a part of the first pipeline
further extends beyond the first hole, and after the second
pipeline is inserted into the second hole, at least a part of the
second pipeline further extends beyond the second hole.
18. The manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein, in
Step Si), the heat exchanger integrated assembly further comprises
a mounting bracket, the mating portion is located on the mounting
bracket, and Step S1) further comprises expanding the first
pipeline and the second pipeline, to preliminarily fix the mounting
bracket to the adaptor; and Step S2) further comprises using the
clamp to tightly press the heat exchanger and the mounting
bracket.
19. The manufacturing method according to claim 18, wherein, in
Step S1), the heat exchanger comprises a plurality of circulating
plates and a cover plate located at one side of the circulating
plates, the circulating plates, the cover plate and the mounting
bracket all adopt an aluminous composite board, wherein a core
material is 3003 aluminous, a composite layer is 4004 or 4045
aluminous; wherein in Step S3), during welding, the temperature is
increased to be higher than the fusing point of the composite layer
and lower than the fusing point of the core material, at this
moment, the composite layer is fused while the core material is not
fused, then the temperature is reduced, the circulating plates, the
mounting bracket and the adaptor are welded together after being
cooled.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priorities to Chinese
Patent Application No. 201210369297.X titled "HEAT EXCHANGER
INTEGRATED ASSEMBLY AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF", filed with
the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office on Sep. 29, 2012,
and Chinese Patent Application No. 201310310012.X titled "HEAT
EXCHANGER INTEGRATED ASSEMBLY", filed with the Chinese State
Intellectual Property Office on Jul. 19, 2013, both of which
applications are incorporated herein in their entireties by this
reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present application relates to a heat exchanger
integrated assembly and a manufacturing method thereof, which may
be applied in a battery cooling system of an electric
automobile.
BACKGROUND
[0003] An electric automobile is a vehicle using batteries as power
source. Since the electric automobile has a smaller adverse effect
on the environment than traditional automobiles, the electric
automobile is the development trend of future automobiles as the
requirements for energy conservation and emission reduction for
automobiles continuously increases.
[0004] The batteries of the electric automobile generate heat
during operation, which increases the temperature of the batteries,
and the longer the batteries operate, and the more heat the
batteries accumulate, thus the temperature of the batteries gets
higher. If the batteries are not cooled in time, the working
performance and service life of batteries will be adversely
influenced. In the conventional technology, batteries of the
electric automobile are generally cooled by a battery cooling
system, the cooling capacity of which is generally provided by an
air conditioning system of the electric automobile.
[0005] In general, the battery cooling system includes a plate heat
exchanger and a thermal expansion valve. The plate heat exchanger
substantially has two kinds of structures, one kind is formed by
stacking a series of heat exchanging plates with certain
corrugations, and the other kind employs fin structures between
heat exchanging plates as flow passages. Both structures may form a
passage for an interaction between the two kinds of media to
realize heat exchange between the two kinds of media. When the
plate heat exchanger is applied in the battery cooling system, two
kinds of media in the passage are a refrigerant and a cooling
liquid. The principle of the battery cooling system is described as
follows, after flowing out of a thermal expansion valve, the
refrigerant cools the cooling liquid via the plate heat exchanger,
and then the cooling liquid cools the batteries via a battery
cooling plate.
[0006] Reference is made to FIG. 1. The connection between a
conventional plate heat exchanger 1' and a thermal expansion valve
2' is realized by leading out connecting pipes 3' at a refrigerant
inlet and a refrigerant outlet of the plate heat exchanger 1' to
connect to the thermal expansion valve 2'. However, this indirect
connection has the following disadvantages.
[0007] 1. Since the plate heat exchanger 1' and the thermal
expansion valve 2' has a complicated connection structure, the
assembly has a large volume, and is inconvenient to be installed
inside the automobile.
[0008] 2. The plate heat exchanger 1' and the thermal expansion
valve 2' are connected by pipelines, thus there are many parts, and
the cost is relatively high.
[0009] 3. Connection pipelines between the plate heat exchanger 1'
and the thermal expansion valve 2' are long, thus the whole
assembly has a poor vibration-proof performance, and ruptures of
the connection pipe and other phenomena are apt to occur.
[0010] 4. As pipelines and other materials are added, the whole
assembly has a heavy weight.
[0011] 5. The refrigerant needs to pass through the pipelines to
flow from the thermal expansion valve to the plate heat exchanger,
which is bound to adversely affect the refrigeration effect.
[0012] Therefore, an urgent technical issue to be addressed by the
person skilled in the art is to integrate a heat exchanger with
other parts, to enable the heat exchanger to be directly connected
to the expansion valve, so as to enable the heat exchanger to have
a compact structure, a good vibration-proof performance, a low cost
and be easy to install.
SUMMARY
[0013] An object of the present application is to provide a heat
exchanger integrated assembly with a simple structure and a
reliable performance, and a manufacturing method thereof.
[0014] For realizing the above object, the following technical
solutions are provided according to the present application. A heat
exchanger integrated assembly includes a heat exchanger, a mating
portion abutting against the heat exchanger, and an adaptor fixed
on the mating portion, wherein the mating portion is located
between the heat exchanger and the adaptor, the heat exchanger
includes a first flow passage and a second flow passage, and the
first flow passage includes a first inlet and a first outlet; the
mating portion includes a first side facing the heat exchanger, a
second side facing the adaptor, and a first hole and a second hole
both running through the first side and the second side, and the
first hole and the second hole of the mating portion are separated
from each other, and the mating portion further includes a first
recessed portion formed on the first side and in communication with
the first hole; the adaptor includes a first passage and a second
passage, the first passage is in communication with the first hole
and is further in communication with the first inlet via the first
recessed portion; and the second passage is in communication with
the first outlet via the second hole.
[0015] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the first passage is aligned with the first hole, the
second passage is aligned with the second hole, and a center
distance of the first inlet and the first outlet is greater than a
center distance of the first passage and the second passage.
[0016] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the mating portion includes a second recessed portion
formed on the first side, and a first protruding portion and a
second protruding portion both being formed on the second side and
protruding out of the second side, the first protruding portion is
corresponding to the first recessed portion, the second protruding
portion is corresponding to the second recessed portion, the first
hole is located in the first protruding portion, the second hole is
located in the second protruding portion and in communication with
the second recessed portion, and the second passage is in
communication with the first outlet via the second hole and the
second recessed portion; and on the first side of the mating
portion, a periphery of the first recessed portion and a periphery
of the second recessed portion are both welded to the heat
exchanger to form an enclosed space.
[0017] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the first side and the second side are both a plane,
the first hole and the second hole directly run through the first
side and the second side, and the first recessed portion is
recessed towards the second side but doesn't run through the second
side.
[0018] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the adaptor includes a main body portion, a first
pipeline and a second pipeline each being located at one side of
the main body portion and protruding out of the main body portion,
and a third pipeline and a fourth pipeline each being located at
another side of the main body portion and protruding out of the
main body portion, the first pipeline is in communication with the
fourth pipeline via the first passage, the second pipeline is in
communication with the third pipeline via the second passage, the
first pipeline is inserted into the first hole, and the second
pipeline is inserted into the second hole.
[0019] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, a diameter of the first pipeline is smaller than a
diameter of the fourth pipeline, and a diameter of the second
pipeline is smaller than a diameter of the third pipeline; and the
heat exchanger integrated assembly further includes an expansion
valve, the expansion valve is provided with an inlet and an outlet,
the third pipeline is inserted into the outlet of the expansion
valve and the fourth pipeline is inserted into the inlet of the
expansion valve.
[0020] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the heat exchanger integrated assembly includes a
mounting bracket, the mating portion is located on the mounting
bracket, the mounting bracket further includes a mounting portion
forming an included angle with respect to the mating portion, and
the mounting bracket is provided with at least one mounting hole,
and in a mounting direction passing through the mounting hole, the
mounting hole is completely exposed outside the heat exchanger.
[0021] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the mounting portion includes at least two mounting
plates and these mounting plates are respectively located at two
sides of the mating portion, and each mounting plate is provided
with one of the mounting holes.
[0022] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the mounting plate includes a first mounting plate, a
second mounting plate and a third mounting plate, the third
mounting plate is located between the first mounting plate and the
second mounting plate, the first mounting plate and the second
mounting plate are located at the same side of the mating portion,
and the third mounting plate is located on another side of the
mating portion.
[0023] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the mounting plates are located in the same plane and
are substantially perpendicular to a plane where the mating portion
is located, and the mounting plates are respectively formed by
bending a plurality of parts formed by cutting the same sheet
plate.
[0024] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the first mounting plate includes a first extension
section, a second extension section inclined at an angle with
respect to the first extension section, and a third extension
section inclined at an angle with respect to the second extension
section, an inclination angle of the third extension section is
greater than an inclination angle of the second extension section,
and the second extension section and the third extension section
are inclined in a direction toward the second mounting plate.
[0025] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, the first mounting plate, the second mounting plate
and the third mounting plate are each provided with a continuous
strengthening rib, and the strengthening rib has one end close to
the corresponding mounting hole, and another end located at a
connection portion where the mounting plate intersects with the
mating portion.
[0026] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, a first groove is provided between the first mounting
plate and the third mounting plate, a second groove is provided
between the second mounting plate and the third mounting plate, and
the first groove and the second groove are recessed towards into
the mating portion.
[0027] For realizing the above object, a manufacturing method of
the heat exchanger integrated assembly is further provided
according to the present application, and the manufacturing method
includes the following steps.
[0028] S1) providing a heat exchanger, a mating portion and an
adaptor, and locating the mating portion between the heat exchanger
and the adaptor to directly assemble the three components;
[0029] S2) providing a clamp, and tightly pressing and fixing the
heat exchanger and the mating portion by the clamp; and
[0030] S3) placing the heat exchanger, the mating portion and the
adaptor into a furnace to weld the three components to form the
above heat exchanger integrated assembly.
[0031] As a further improved technical solution of the present
application, in Step S2), the clamp is configured to clamp the heat
exchanger and the mating portion; and in Step S3), a vacuum furnace
is provided to perform vacuum brazing or a tunnel furnace is
provided to perform nitrogen protective welding.
[0032] Compared with the conventional technology, the heat
exchanger, the mating portion and the adaptor are directly
integrated according to the present application without connection
pipes, thus the heat exchanger integrated assembly has a simple
structure and a reliable performance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a heat exchanger and an
expansion valve which are connected through connection pipes in the
conventional technology;
[0034] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger
integrated assembly of the present application;
[0035] FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded view of the heat exchanger
integrated assembly in FIG. 2;
[0036] FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG.
2;
[0037] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a
mounting bracket in FIG. 2;
[0038] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the mounting bracket in
FIG. 5 viewed from another angle;
[0039] FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG.
5;
[0040] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of
the mounting bracket in FIG. 2;
[0041] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the mounting bracket in
FIG. 8 viewed from another angle;
[0042] FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG.
8;
[0043] FIG. 11 is a sectional view of materials of a circulating
plate, a cover plate and the mounting bracket in the heat exchanger
integrated assembly;
[0044] FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the manufacturing
process of the heat exchanger integrated assembly according to the
present application;
[0045] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the heat exchanger
integrated assembly according to another embodiment of the present
application;
[0046] FIG. 14 is a perspective exploded view showing the heat
exchanger integrated assembly in FIG. 13;
[0047] FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing the heat exchanger
integrated assembly in FIG. 13;
[0048] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of
the mounting bracket in FIG. 14; and
[0049] FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing the mounting bracket
in FIG. 16 viewed from another angle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0050] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, a heat exchanger integrated
assembly 100 is provided according to the present application,
which includes a heat exchanger 1, a mounting bracket 2 configured
to mount the heat exchanger integrated assembly 100 onto other
devices, an adaptor 3 fixed on the mounting bracket 2, and an
expansion valve 4 which is mounted on the adaptor 3. The expansion
valve is detachably mounted on the heat exchanger integrated
assembly 100 to facilitate replacement.
[0051] Referring to FIG. 3, the heat exchanger 1 includes a first
flow passage (which is a refrigerant flow passage in embodiments in
the figures of the present application) and a second flow passage
(which is a cooling liquid flow passage in embodiments in the
figures of the present application). The first flow passage
includes a first inlet 11 and a first outlet 12, and the second
flow passage includes a second inlet (not shown in the figures) and
a second outlet (not shown in the figures). The second inlet is
connected to a first aluminous connecting pipe 13, and the second
outlet is connected to a second aluminous connecting pipe 14. The
heat exchanger 1 further includes a plurality of circulating plates
15 which are stacked, fins (not shown in the figures) located
inside each of the circulating plates 15 and a cover plate 16
located at one side of the circulating plates (which is the
rightmost side in the embodiment of FIG. 3). The first inlet 11 and
the first outlet 12 of the first flow passage, and the second inlet
and the second outlet of the second flow passage may be arranged on
the same side or different sides of the heat exchanger 1, and can
be any two of the four ports.
[0052] In the embodiments shown in the figures of the present
application, the heat exchanger 1 is a finned plate heat exchanger.
The heat exchanger is not the key point of the present application,
therefore other types of heat exchangers are also applicable
herein.
[0053] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the adaptor 3 includes a main
body portion 30, a first pipeline 31 and a second pipeline 32 both
being located on one side of the main body portion 30 (which is the
left side in the embodiment in FIG. 4) and protruding out of the
main body portion 30, and a third pipeline 33 and a fourth pipeline
34 both being located on another side of the main body portion 30
(which is the right side in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4) and
protruding out of the main body portion 30. The adaptor 3 further
includes a first passage 35 and a second passage 36, both of which
run through the main body portion 30. The first pipeline 31 is in
communication with the fourth pipeline 34 through the first passage
35, and the first pipeline 31 has a diameter smaller than a
diameter of the fourth pipeline 34. The second pipeline 32 is in
communication with the third pipeline 33 through the second passage
36, and the second pipeline 32 has a diameter smaller than a
diameter of the third pipeline 33. Besides, the main body portion
30 is further provided with a plurality of threaded holes 301 with
internal threads, and the threaded holes 301 are configured to fix
the expansion valve 4.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 3, the expansion valve 4 (which is
embodied as a thermal expansion valve in the embodiments shown in
the figures of the present application) includes an inlet 41 and an
outlet 42. In the heat exchanger integrated assembly 100 of the
present application, a bolt 5 is employed to pass through the
expansion valve 4, and to be screwed into the threaded holes 301,
thereby fixing the expansion valve 4 to the adaptor 3. Of course,
the expansion valve 4 and the adaptor 3 may also be formed as an
integrated structure, which can be realized by reserving a portion
for machining the adaptor 3 on one side of the valve body of the
expansion valve 4 when machining the valve body of the expansion
valve 4. Other structures of the expansion valve 4, such as a
temperature sensing bulb and a valve needle, are conventional
technologies in the field and have no essential connections with
the innovation points of the present application, thus will not be
described herein. In the embodiments shown in the figures of the
present application, the expansion valve 4 and the adaptor 3 are
separately arranged, which, on one hand, facilitates disassembly
and assembly, and replacing the expansion valve 4 at any time, and,
on the other hand, has no special requirements for the structure of
the expansion valve 4 and is applicable to the conventional
expansion valves, thereby reducing the cost.
[0055] Referring to FIGS. 2 to 7, the mounting bracket 2 is an
integrated structure that is formed by punching and bending a sheet
metal. The mounting bracket 2 includes a mating portion 21, and a
mounting portion 22 that is bent at a certain angle with respect to
the mating portion 21. The mating portion 21 abuts against the
cover plate 16 of the heat exchanger 1. The mating portion 21 and
the cover plate 16 are arranged very close to each other and are in
contact with each other. Eventually, the mating portion 21 and the
cover plate 16 are fixed by welding.
[0056] Referring to FIG. 4, the mounting portion 22 is provided
with a plurality of mounting holes 221, and the mounting holes 221
are completely exposed outside the heat exchanger 1 in a mounting
direction passing through the mounting holes 221. With such
arrangement, when the bolts are fitted through the mounting holes
221 to mount and fix the heat exchanger integrated assembly 100,
the bolts will not bump the heat exchanger 1. This design reduces
the difficulty in mounting the heat exchanger integrated assembly
100, and also greatly reduces the probability of damage to the heat
exchanger 1 in mounting. Besides, for pre-positioning the heat
exchanger 1 with respect to the mounting bracket 2, the mounting
bracket 2 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 23, and
correspondingly, the heat exchanger 1 is provided with grooves (not
shown in the figure) to cooperate with the protrusions 23.
[0057] The mating portion 21 includes a first side 211 facing the
heat exchanger 1, a second side 212 facing to the adaptor 3, and a
first hole 213 and a second hole 214 each running through the first
side 211 and the second side 212. The first hole 213 and the second
hole 214 of the mating portion 21 are separated from each other.
The mating portion 21 further includes a first recessed portion 215
which is formed on the first side 211 and in communication with the
first hole 213. In an embodiment shown in the figures of the
present application, the protrusions 23 are arranged on the first
side 211 of the mating portion 21 and protrude out of the first
side 211. Preferably, the protrusions 23 are close to the first
hole 213 and the second hole 214, to realize a better
pre-positioning effect.
[0058] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, in a first embodiment of the
mounting bracket 2, the mating portion 21 further includes a second
recessed portion 216 formed on the first side 211 and separated
from the first recessed portion 215, and a first protruding portion
217 and a second protruding portion 218 each being formed on the
second side 212 and protruding out of the second side 212. The
first protruding portion 217 is corresponding to the first recessed
portion 215, that is, the first protruding portion 217 is formed
while the first recessed portion 215 is formed by punching. The
second protruding portion 218 is corresponding to the second
recessed portion 216, that is, the second protruding portion 218 is
formed while the second recessed portion 216 is formed by punching.
The first hole 213 is located in the first protruding portion 217,
and the second hole 214 is located in the second protruding portion
218 and in communication with the second recessed portion 216. The
first recessed portion 215 may be elliptic, and the second recessed
portion 216 may be circular.
[0059] Referring to FIGS. 8 to 10, in a second embodiment of the
mounting bracket 2, the first side 211 and the second side 212 are
both a plane, the first hole 213 and the second hole 214 directly
run through the first side 211 and the second side 212, while the
first recessed portion 215 is recessed towards the second side 212
but does not run through the second side 212.
[0060] Referring to FIGS. 13 to 17, in a third embodiment of the
mounting bracket 2, the mounting portion 22 includes a plurality of
mounting plates. The mounting plate includes a first mounting plate
24, a second mounting plate 25 and a third mounting plate 26. The
third mounting plate 26 is located between the first mounting plate
24 and the second mounting plate 25, the first mounting plate 24
and the second mounting plate 25 are located at the same side of
the mating portion 2 (the first mounting plate 24 and the second
mounting plate 25 are bending to the left side in FIG. 16), and the
third mounting plate 26 is located at another side of the mating
portion 21 (the third mounting plate 26 is bending to the right
side in FIG. 16). That is, at least one mounting plate is located
on a side of the mating portion 21 opposite to the side where other
mounting plates are located.
[0061] Of course, the mounting plates should be adapted to the
mounting position of the heat exchanger integrated assembly 100. In
the third embodiment, the first mounting plate 24, the second
mounting plate 25 and the third mounting plate 26 are located on
the same plane, or at least the planes on the first mounting plate
24, the second mounting plate 25 and the third mounting plate 26
where the mounting holes 221 are located are the same plane and the
plane, where the mounting holes 221 are located, intersects on a
connection portion with a plane where the mating portion 21 is
located. Such arrangement not only facilitates installation, but
also ensures the installation reliability of each mounting
plate.
[0062] It should be noted that, the bending directions of the first
mounting plate 24, the second mounting plate 25 and the third
mounting plate 26 may be adjusted according to the mounting
position of the heat exchanger integrated assembly 100. For
example, the second mounting plate 25 and the third mounting plate
26 are bent in the same direction, while the first mounting plate
24 is bent in a direction opposite to the bending direction of the
second mounting plate 25 and the third mounting plate 26. Based on
the principle of triangle stability, the condition can be met as
long as at least one mounting plate is located on a side of the
mating portion 21 opposite to the side where other mounting plates
are located. In the third embodiment, the third mounting plate 26
is bent in a direction opposite to the bending direction of the
first mounting plate 24 and the second mounting plate 25, and is
located at a middle of the plane where the three mounting plates
are located. Thus, vertexes of the three mounting plates may form a
triangle, and the mating portion 21 formed by extending from the
bent position is perpendicular to the plane where the triangle is
located. The first mounting plate 24 and the second mounting plate
25 are located on one side of the plane where the mating portion 21
is located, and the third mounting plate 26 is located on another
side of the plane where the mating portion 21 is located. With such
arrangement, the mounting portion has a high structural strength,
and the stability of the mounting bracket 2 may be improved, thus
the heat exchanger integrated assembly 100 can be fixed at the
mounting position more stably. And, the third mounting plate 26
located at the middle further has a positioning function.
[0063] Besides, the mounting plate on the mounting portion may also
be a one-way bending structure, the mounting portion includes at
least two connection portions, and an interval between the at least
two adjacent connection portions is greater than an interval
between other adjacent bending portions. For example, the first
mounting plate 24 and the second mounting plate 25 may be arranged
as an integrated annular structure, or the first mounting plate 24
and the second mounting plate 25 may be arranged with an interval,
and an interval space is vacated at a position of the third
mounting plate 26 in the above embodiment.
[0064] In the third embodiment, to enable the heat exchanger
integrated assembly 100 of the present application to have a
compact structure, the plane where the first mounting plate 24, the
second mounting plate 25 and the third mounting plate 26 are
located is substantially perpendicular to the plane where the
mating portion 21 is located. Each of the first mounting plate 24,
the second mounting plate 25 and the third mounting plate 26 is
provided with at least one mounting hole 221, and in the mounting
directions passing through the mounting holes 221, the mounting
holes 221 are totally exposed outside the heat exchanger 1 and the
adaptor 3. With such arrangement, when the bolts are fitted through
the mounting holes 221 to mount and fix the integrated assembly 100
of the heat exchanger and the expansion valve at the mounting
position, the bolts may not bump the heat exchanger 1 and the
adaptor 3.
[0065] In the third embodiment, one plate is cut into three parts
and the three parts are respectively bent to form the first
mounting plate 24, the second mounting plate 25 and the third
mounting plate 26 which does not interfere with each other. As
shown in FIG. 16, the first mounting plate 24 includes a first
extension section 242, a second extension section 243 inclined at a
certain angle with respect to the first extension section 242, and
a third extension section 244 inclined at a certain angle with
respect to the second extension section 243, wherein the
inclination direction of the second extension section 243 is same
as the inclination direction of the third extension section 244,
and an inclination angle of the third extension section 244 is
greater than an inclination angle of the second extension section
243. Thus, the mounting hole 221 on the first mounting plate 24 is
partially aligned with the mounting hole 221 on the third mounting
plate 26 in a diameter direction, which is perpendicular to the
bending portion of the mounting bracket 2, of the mounting hole 221
of the first mounting plate 24. And, a height of the space between
the first mounting plate 24 and the bending portion is greater than
a height of the third mounting plate 26.
[0066] Of course, the mounting plates on the mounting portion 22
may also be connected to the mating portion 21 by welding or other
manners. The first mounting plate 24 is also not limited to the
structure shown in FIG. 16, and can be any structure as long as at
least a part of the mounting hole 221 on the first mounting plate
24 is aligned with the mounting hole 221 on the third mounting
plate 24 in the diameter direction, perpendicular to the connection
portion of the mounting bracket 2, of the mounting hole 221, for
example, the first mounting plate 24 may be an arc-shaped extension
section. The mounting bracket 2 in the third embodiment not only
solves the problem of interference among the mounting plates, but
also is easy to machine and has a low cost.
[0067] Besides, the first mounting plate 24 is further provided
with a first reinforcement rib 245. The first reinforcement rib 245
extends from a connection portion where the first mounting plate 24
intersects with the mating portion 21 to an area where the
corresponding mounting hole 221 is located and keeps a certain
distance from the mounting hole 221, and at least a part of the
first reinforcement rib 245 is located in the mating portion 21.
Similarly, the second mounting plate 25 is also provided with a
second reinforcement rib 251, the second reinforcement rib 251
extends from a connection portion where the second mounting plate
25 intersects with the mating portion 21 to an area where the
corresponding mounting hole is located and keeps a certain distance
from the mounting hole, and at least a part of the second mounting
plate 25 is located in the mating portion 21. The third mounting
plate 26 is also provided with a third reinforcement rib 261, the
third reinforcement rib 261 extends from a connection portion where
the third mounting plate 26 intersects with the mating portion 21
to an area where the corresponding mounting hole is located and
keeps a certain distance from the mounting hole, and at least a
part of the third reinforcement rib 261 is located in the mating
portion 21. To avoid interfering with the installation of the heat
exchanger 1, the first reinforcement rib 245 and the second
reinforcement rib 251 located on the heat exchanger side protrude
in a direction away from the heat exchanger 1, and the third
reinforcement rib 261 located on the expansion valve side protrudes
in a direction facing the expansion valve 4, that is, the
reinforcement ribs 245, 251 and 261 protrude in the same direction.
Or, the first reinforcement rib 245 and the second reinforcement
rib 251 located on the heat exchanger side protrude in a direction
away from the heat exchanger 1, and the third reinforcement rib 261
located on the expansion valve side protrudes in a direction away
from the expansion valve 4, that is, the reinforcement ribs on the
mounting plates which are bent in different directions have
different protruding directions.
[0068] By providing the reinforcement ribs 245, 251 and 261, the
structural strength of the mounting bracket 2 may be improved, and
the reinforcement ribs are provided at the connection portion and
at least a part of each reinforcement rib extends to the mating
portion 21, thereby improving the strength of the bending portion
and reducing the damage caused by stress in bending process.
[0069] Referring to FIG. 17, a first groove 226 is provided between
the first mounting plate 24 and the third mounting plate 26, a
second groove 227 is provided between the second mounting plate 25
and the third mounting plate 26, and the first groove 226 and the
second groove 227 are recessed towards the mating portion 21. Such
arrangement may facilitate the bending process of each mounting
plate and avoids cracks in the bending process.
[0070] In assembling, the first pipeline 31 of the adaptor 3 is
inserted into the first hole 213 to be in communication with the
first inlet 11 via the first recessed portion 215. The second
pipeline 32 of the adaptor 3 is inserted into the second hole 214
to be in communication with the first outlet 12. The third pipeline
33 of the adaptor 3 is inserted into the outlet 42 of the expansion
valve 4. The fourth pipeline 34 of the adaptor 3 is inserted into
the inlet 41 of the expansion valve 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the
second pipeline 32 of the adaptor 3 passes through the second hole
214 of the second protruding portion 218 to be in communication
with the first outlet 12 via the second recessed portion 216. The
adaptor 3 is connected to the mounting bracket 2 and the expansion
valve 4 through the first pipeline 31 and the second pipeline 32,
and the third pipeline 33 and the fourth pipeline 34 respectively,
thus the installation is convenient. Besides, the first protruding
portion 217 and the second protruding portion 218 can have a good
positioning effect. It is well known that, the inlet and the outlet
of a specific expansion valve 4 for cooperating with the third
pipeline 33 and the fourth pipeline 34 respectively have fixed
sizes, that is, for matching with the inlet and the outlet of the
expansion valve 4, the third pipeline 33 and the fourth pipeline 34
of the adaptor 3 have fixed diameters. However, in the embodiments
of the present application, the size of the first pipeline 31 is
designedly reduced to be smaller than the diameter of the fourth
pipeline 34, and the size of the second pipeline 32 is designedly
reduced to be smaller than the diameter of the third pipeline 33.
Such design may have the following advantages, sizes of the first
hole 213 and the second hole 214 which match with the first
pipeline 31 and the second pipeline 32 respectively may be reduced
correspondingly as the sizes of the first pipeline 31 and the
second pipeline 32 are reduced, thus the first recessed portion 215
does not need to have a large size, which reduces the volume of the
mounting bracket 2 on the whole.
[0071] Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, although a center distance M
of the first inlet 11 and the first outlet 12 is greater than a
center distance N of the inlet and the outlet of the expansion
valve 4 (namely a center distance of the first pipeline 31 and the
second pipeline 32, because the center distance N is equal to the
center distance of the first pipeline 31 and the second pipeline
32), since the first recessed portion 215 has a flow passage with a
certain length, with the adjustment of the first recessed portion
215, the first inlet 11 and the first outlet 12 can also cooperate
with the inlet and the outlet of the expansion valve 4 even though
the center distance M of the first inlet 11 and the first outlet 12
is different from the center distance of the inlet and the outlet
of the expansion valve 4. The first inlet 11 and the first pipeline
31 are staggered to adjust the center distances.
[0072] It should be appreciated that, in the case that the first
inlet 11 and the first outlet 12 are arranged in a form of diagonal
line or other manners, the problem of the different center
distances may also be solved through the arrangement of the second
recessed portion 216, thereby realizing the object of matching the
center distances.
[0073] Referring to FIG. 4, preferably, after the first pipeline 31
is inserted into the first hole 213, at least a part of the first
pipeline 31 further extends beyond the first hole 213 to extend
into the first recessed portion 215, and after the second pipeline
32 is inserted into the second hole 214, at least a part of the
second pipeline 32 further extends beyond the second hole 214 to
extend into the second recessed portion 216. Before being welded in
a furnace, the first pipeline 31 and the second pipeline 32 are
expanded by a clamp to fix the mounting bracket 2 to the adaptor 3.
It should be appreciated that, after the first pipeline 31 and the
second pipeline 32 are expanded, the parts of the first pipeline 31
and the second pipeline 32 which respectively extend beyond the
first hole 213 and the second hole 214 may form slight outward
flanges, so as to fix the mounting bracket 2 to the adaptor 3.
[0074] Preferably, referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a sealing ring
331 is sleeved on the third pipeline 33, and then the third
pipeline 33 is inserted into the outlet 42 of the expansion valve
4, thereby realizing a good sealing effect. Similarly, a sealing
ring 341 is sleeved on the fourth pipeline 34 of the adaptor 3, and
then the fourth pipeline 34 is inserted into the inlet 41 of the
expansion valve 4.
[0075] The members of the heat exchanger 1, including the
circulating plates 15, the fins, the cover plate 16, the first
aluminous connecting pipe 13, the second aluminous connecting pipe
14, the mounting bracket 2 and the adaptor 3, are welded together
by braze welding. Referring to FIG. 11, the circulating plates 15,
the cover plate 16 and the mounting bracket 11 all adopt an
aluminous composite plate, wherein a core material 6 is 3003
aluminous, a composite layer 7 is 4004 or 4045 aluminous, and the
fusing point of the composite layer 7 is lower than the fusing
point of the core material 6. Referring to FIG. 4, after the
welding process, the periphery of the first recessed portion 215
and the periphery of the second recessed portion 216 on the first
side 211 of the mating portion 21 are both welded to the heat
exchanger 1 to completely separate the first recessed portion 215
from the second recessed portion 216.
[0076] The heat exchanger integrated assembly 100 according to the
present application can be applied in a battery cooling system of
the electric automobile, and the operation principle is described
as follows. Referring to FIG. 4, a refrigerant flows into the
fourth pipeline 34 of the adaptor 3 from the inlet 41 of the
expansion valve 4, and flows out of the first pipeline 31 of the
adaptor 3, and then flows into the first inlet 11 of the heat
exchanger 1. Meanwhile, a cooling liquid flows into the heat
exchanger 1 from the first aluminous connecting pipe 13. The
refrigerant and the cooling liquid exchange heat in the heat
exchanger 1, thus the cooling liquid is cooled, and then the
cooling liquid flows out of the second aluminous connecting pipe 14
to cool the batteries through a battery cooling plate. The
refrigerant flows out of the first outlet 12, passes through the
second pipeline 32 and the third pipeline 33 of the adaptor 3, and
finally flows out of the outlet 42 of the expansion valve 4.
[0077] Referring to FIG. 12, a manufacturing method of the heat
exchanger integrated assembly 100 is also provided according to the
present application, and the manufacturing method includes the
following steps.
[0078] Step S1) may include providing a heat exchanger 1, a
mounting bracket 2 and an adaptor 3, locating the mounting bracket
2 between the heat exchanger 1 and the adaptor 3, and directly
assembling the three components (namely pre-positioning).
[0079] Step S2) may include providing a clamp (not shown in the
figures), and tightly pressing and fixing the heat exchanger 1 and
the adaptor 3 by the clamp.
[0080] Step S3) may include placing the heat exchanger 1, the
mounting bracket 2 and the adaptor 3 into a furnace to perform
welding.
[0081] Step S4) may include providing an expansion valve 4, and
connecting the adaptor 3 to the expansion valve 4 to form the heat
exchanger integrated assembly 100.
[0082] Preferably, in Step S1), after the first pipeline 31 is
inserted into the first hole 213, at least a part of the first
pipeline 31 further extends beyond the first hole 213, and after
the second pipeline 32 is inserted into the second hole 214, at
least a part of the second pipeline 32 further extends beyond the
second hole 214. Step S1) may further include a procedure of
expanding the first pipeline 31 and the second pipeline 32, to fix
the mounting bracket 2 to the adaptor 3. On this basis, since the
mounting bracket 2 and the adaptor 3 are preliminarily fixed, in
Step S2), it only requires to using the clamp to tightly press the
heat exchanger 1 and the mounting bracket 2.
[0083] Preferably, in Step S2), the clamp is employed to clamp the
heat exchanger 1 and the mating portion 21, and in Step S3), a
vacuum furnace is employed to perform a vacuum brazing or a tunnel
furnace is employed to perform a nitrogen protective welding.
During the welding, the temperature is increased to be higher than
the fusing point of the composite layer 7 and lower than the fusing
point of the core material 6, at this moment, the composite layer 7
is fused while the core material 6 is not fused. Then the
temperature is reduced, the circulating plates 15, the fins, the
cover plate 16, the first aluminous connecting pipe 13, the second
aluminous connecting pipe 14, the mounting bracket 2 and the
adaptor 3 may be welded together after being cooled. After the
welding process is accomplished, the sealing ring 331 and the
sealing ring 341 are installed, and then the expansion valve 4 is
directly sleeved on the adaptor 3. Finally, the expansion valve 4
and the adaptor 3 are fixed via two bolts 5.
[0084] Compared with the conventional technology, in the present
application, the heat exchanger 1 and the expansion valve 4 are
directly connected through the mounting bracket 2 and the adaptor
3, without using pipes, thus the present application has the
following technical effects.
[0085] (1) The connection structure is simple, and the assembly has
a small volume, thus is easy to be installed inside a vehicle.
[0086] (2) Without the pipes, the number of parts is reduced, which
enables the whole assembly to have a light weight and a low
cost.
[0087] (3) Without the pipes, the connecting pipeline is shortened,
thus the whole assembly has a better vibration-proof performance,
and raptures of the pipes are fundamentally avoided.
[0088] (4) Without the pipes, the refrigeration effect is bound to
be improved.
[0089] (5) The mounting bracket 2 has a high stability and an
improved vibration-proof performance.
[0090] Besides, the center distances may be adjusted through the
first recessed portion 215, to allow the inlet and the outlet of
the heat exchanger 1 to match with the expansion valve 4. The
assembly method according to the present application may use a heat
exchanger 1 with any size to be assembled with an expansion valve 4
with any size, thereby greatly improving the versatility.
[0091] It should be noted that, the above embodiments are only
specific embodiments of the present application, and are not
intended to limit the present application in any form. The nouns of
locality in the specification, such as up, down, left and right,
should not be regarded as limitation to the orientation, but are
provided to facilitate describing the present application by
describing according to the orientations in the figures. Although
the present application is disclosed hereinabove by the preferred
embodiments, the preferred embodiments are not used to limit the
present application. It should be understood by the skilled in the
art that, many possible variations and modifications, or equivalent
embodiments modified as equivalent variations, may be made to the
technical solution of the present application based on the above
disclosed technical contents without departing from the scope of
the technical solution of the present application. Therefore, any
simple variations, equivalent variations and modifications, made to
the above embodiments according to the technical essence of the
present application without departing from the content of the
technical solution of the present application, are also deemed to
fall into the scope defined by the technical solution of the
present application.
* * * * *